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In the year 2010, an alien virus nearly wiped out the human race. A thousand years later, mankind has recovered and ventured into space. There has been no sign of the aliens since. Humanity remains confined to the Solar System.

All that is about to change.

Mazzy Webber is a lowly janitor on a third-rate cargo ship. Deeply in debt, when his captain decides to turn pirate, he leaps at the chance.

A modern Robin Hood—minus the part where he gives back to the poor—Webber lays down a few ground rules. No attacking manned ships, and no stealing from anyone who can't afford it. Within months, he and the crew are out of debt. Their next target will make them rich.

But the attack goes all wrong. The target's cargo could be the death of them—or it could be the key to reaching the stars.

~

From the author of the bestselling BREAKERS novels, OUTLAW is the first book in a new series of piracy, conspiracy, and space's deadliest janitor.

312 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 10, 2014

1146 people are currently reading
1027 people want to read

About the author

Edward W. Robertson

72 books1,244 followers
Ed is the author of the post-apocalyptic Breakers series and the epic fantasy series The Cycle of Arawn. A former New Yorker and Idaho-guy, he currently lives in the LA area. His short fiction has appeared in a whole bunch of magazines and anthologies.

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5 stars
423 (29%)
4 stars
550 (38%)
3 stars
351 (24%)
2 stars
74 (5%)
1 star
30 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 113 reviews
Profile Image for Jerry Walch.
140 reviews3 followers
June 23, 2018

Outlaw (Rebel Star, #1)was a good read but I would have enjoyed it a great deal more and would have given it a four star rating instead of three stars if the author had explained what the shorthand terms and acronyms meant when he used them the first time. All he would have had to do was type it out fully the first time and then used the shortened form thereafter. Maybe if I was a sci-fi aficionado, I would have known the jargon, but I'm not and neither will many other readers who will download this book. As for the story itself, it's a space opera with interesting characters.

Take this evaluation with a large grain of salt because I'm really not into the Sci-Fi genre.

205 reviews1 follower
July 7, 2018
Entertaining

This novel is quite entertaining. It is about aliens good guys and bad guys! As you might expect, there is a lot of interaction among characters in for a while it’s hard to tell who is good and who is bad. But in the end the good and the bad sort of merge; but not quite. You have to read the book to find out who the real good guys are and what happens to those who are bad! This is definitely a worthwhile read and very entertaining with good character development.
Profile Image for Shannon Callahan.
424 reviews24 followers
December 24, 2021
Rough

I won’t lie the book summary and cover page got me hooked. It didn’t match up with the storyline. It was too loosely written. The book started out weak and unclear. I can see the author is trying to get a handle on this. From there, the materials weren’t too great to make the story to be more than just a story. Maybe more time to refine everything. It could be a good book. Plus, the twist was so-so...it should have a greater effect, but it didn’t.
28 reviews1 follower
June 23, 2020
Only SEEMS like the Same.Old Thing. Robinson is great again.

I am not going to claim this book as the modern day "I Robot", or Edward Robinson as the next Asimov (or even Orson Scott Card). There are no 3 Laws here, or Battle Schools..... BUT There is also a distinct lack of "the Usual".

I find the difference in time and style between this book and Robinson 'a pure fantasy novels surprising, if not stunning, which caused me to be WRONG in my initial feel for the work.
By this I mean that the complete contrast of the interactions of the people within, the dialog between them, and the author's voice..... When compared to how Dante and Blaize interact (and the total lack of a narration) >>>> it almost seems a given that a different writer penned these works. The absolutely different STYLE is impressive. Plus I am in NO WAY SAYING IT IS LESSER, WRONG, OR A MISTAKE.

**** IN ORDER TO SIMPLY MY LONG RANT I WILL 100% IGNORE the Breakers books A complete post apocalyptic nearly realistic "zombie" series which are ALSO told in a varried manner with a 3rd approach or VOICE. *****

Mark Lawrence is , if not my absolute "favorite writer", then he damned close. He is with my top 5 favorite fiction writers, plus his books often "matter" or are able to incorporate a message without seeming to preach, whine, or complain. All while writing some of the most entertaining fiction I have ever been exposed to - IN ANY FORMAT. Books, movies, TV... anything. Lawrence is an absolute genius Mensa Member who applies the intellectual powers.while still being about the best story teller possible!

WHY MENTION LAWRENCE'S AWESOMENESS IN A REVIEW OF THIS AUTHOR????? There IS a reason. I might be a moron but, at least this time, I have the grasped onto something important but hard to demonstrate. EVEN my "Favorite" writer.... Who also wrote fantasy + science fiction books, who is a 100% legit Genius (a Literal Rocket Scientist!!!) ---> sounds like himself.

Robinson's science fiction room books have not only a different format, but the story is told in NEW AND DIFFERENT WAY!

Honestly? I am always able to pick out a Stephen King novel,or a Mark Lawrence, or even Ed James the British mystery writer who took a couple shots at "supernatural" based stories . In this case it was clearly not a Scott Cullen book, But it was also just this clearly and Ed James book. I am by no means special in this regard, in fact we all can often tell our favorite writers with just a few sentences.

Edward Robinson IS one of my favorite writers. DESPITE THIS FACT....I have absolutely No doubt that if (HYPOTHETICALLY) Someone showed me this and.... And had asked me " WHO
wrote it? "

I would NEVER,never (and I mean never) have picked Ed Robinson. PERIOD.

There is a new, fresh, voice telling this story. I'm some ways it is inferior to the madcap adventures of the fantasy only stories Dante and his god/magic type are at the core of. However unlike me the book starts off SEEMING like a million others BUT unlike many others it gets somewhere better. Maybe it is an uphill climb, but the characters and the story development is something to be proud of.

This is a really good, really interesting book that hints of even better things !

Plus is neither the Same Old Thing, nor a "typical" Robinson book.

MOST OF ALL THE BOOK IS ENTERTAINING. Not recycled.drivel like many series the see days.
Profile Image for Anna.
770 reviews154 followers
June 29, 2020
Okay, so first off, I just don't like sci fi, but I tried really hard to find some good in this book.

The storyline probably wasn't too bad, but the amount of irritating uses of "like" and the weird descriptions just got on my nerves. Besides that, the bad language just made me be like...nope. Not wasting my time here. And I didn't even know what was going on for the longest time.

So for example, if you were trying to describe a strong tough looking guy, I wouldn't describe him as a "a steroidal bald man." For one thing, that's just dumb to say because steroids doesn't mean strong/tough. (In this instance that was what they were trying to say by the context.) People take steroids to help with medical conditions, including elderly aunts.

Then the pathetic excuses for metaphors/similes and some weird stuff:

"These appeared fixed in space, but beyond them, the stars streaked past like they'd just split their pants in front of their crush."
"...another man so short and thin it looked like he'd been raised on a diet of imagination soup."
"The woman went as stiff as an antenna, then dropped in a twitching puddle." (Me wondering where the puddle came from)
"He fell beside the woman clutching a bundle of busted ligaments." (I guess some random ligaments just appeared in thin air and they were the first things he grabbed?)
"To her, the words sounded like someone who'd just been bashed on the head." (If you're bashed on the head you're either dead or unconscious and won't be talking any time soon.)
"The kind that will shred us like something you put on top of a burrito." (...what?)
"...a blip of a shower..." (what is a blip of a shower?)
"Someone grunted. Webber was no gruntologist, but it sounded like a surprised grunt." (This is so awkwardly cringy!!! GRUNTOLOGIST??)

Then there was this problem with partial sentences, and I couldn't stand that.
"The terminal smelled like algae and strangers. Less water in the air than they were able to sustain on the ship."

Content: (there may be more, but I didn't get far on this book before giving up)
Language-- c**pping, p**s, versions of s***, h**l, b**ls, da**, a**hole, f word at least once (probably more)
Sexy Stuff/Romance--Unknown
Violence--at least a few random and unnecessary fights, one person gets shot in the chest twice in the beginning


NOT recommended.
Profile Image for M.
85 reviews
November 22, 2019
The book was decently written and quick to read. It's pretty standard sci-fi fare, which I know sounds like damning with faint praise, but I mean it... it's a solid sci-fi space opera style book. Small crew, fighting the evil's of the universe, etc. There's a splash of weird alien stuff in the background but it's not overwhelming.

The author has some quirks of writing that aren't bad, really, but they make me go "huh". Like there is a group of hackers called "Lords of the True Realm" who live in a fake castle, with a robot knight and described with a bunch of geeks tropes. And that name... He shortens it to LOTR after he says it the first time... really? Lords of the Rings reference? I dunno it's not horrible but it kinda felt a little... cute? Something. He also has a some jargon and locations tat he references but doesn't explain and that was a little annoying. For the most part I could get the jist of the conversation from context, but if you are going to reference a place with a name maybe explain what that means.

Also, here is a villain that gets a short point of view where he kills a rat for "I'm evil!" reasons. And I was really worried he was going to keep showing up and we'd have to endure more of that but it's just a single short scene and that was a relief.
Profile Image for Keith LaSpaluto.
Author 17 books8 followers
February 6, 2026
It took a couple chapters to find the author's voice for this book, but once I found it, I really enjoyed the story. So anyone else starting out should definitely stick with it. Once it gets rolling, it's one of those books that when you come to the end of a chapter, you don't want to put it down. Space battles, piracy, intrigue, and mystery make this a fun sci-fi read that closes out its arc but then has enough lead in at the end for a sequel and series. The truth is, I read this because I found the ebook on the free ebook deal on the 'Zon and gave it a shot. Now that I read it, I think it's worth paying for, and I'll definitely get the next one.
Side note, and this is for the author: What, no tears for Lara?
Profile Image for Tim Seabrook.
Author 1 book5 followers
September 24, 2018
This has a great story line with mankind in space but not yet able to venture out beyond the solar system. Reference to an alien invasion that had long ago is intimated at but with just enough detail for you to know there's a relevance to the overall storyline.

There are a small number of players within this that are key to the story and you slowly unravel their pasts and discover how their paths cross or intersect in this, the first installment of what looks like will be a good space-faring adventure story.

The descriptions of space travel, the problems that are inherent to it and that of the various planets, moons and other rocks that are inhabited make for an interesting read.
Profile Image for McKenzie Rae.
Author 23 books59 followers
August 25, 2021
Admittedly, Outlaw was hard for me to dive into. It felt like I was missing something, like I couldn't get a firm grasp on the world (I still don't really know what the Hive is). But I picked up more aspects of the world and got more invested in the characters as the story moved along. Eventually, I began to see that Outlaw painted a unique picture within the sci-fi genre, something that can be difficult to do.

One thing I thought the author did really well was knitting two seemingly unrelated plotlines together. Once I realized what the author had been doing, I knew I had to give this book at least 4 stars.
Profile Image for Randolph King.
157 reviews
March 13, 2025
This is the first book in the Rebel Star series. It is a free book available from a large number of sources by a self-proclaimed best-selling author. The plot looks interesting. It did look promising but failed to pan out.

I found the characters flat and uninteresting. The writing was unimaginative with artificial and cumbersome analogies thrown in in the wrong places. Information was injected into paragraphs at arbitrary places breaking the flow of the text.

DNF.
If someone can convince me it is worth reading, part of me would like to finish it. But it seems there are too many good books to spend much time on a bad one. I gave it a half-star for the plot idea.
Profile Image for Mark.
74 reviews
October 3, 2018
Great Science Fiction

Very good store with twists that led in very unexpected directions. This story really deserved 5 Stars but there were some areas that just seemed difficult to understand what the meaning was until I realized that by inserting a bother word in the sentence made it come clear. I almost felt that this had been written in a different language and translated into English
Profile Image for Jeanne Johnston.
1,599 reviews15 followers
October 27, 2018
I fell in love with Edward Robertson when I stumbled into his trilogy The Cycle of Arawn. Jumping from sword and sorcery (and a terrific buddy story) to space was a bit disappointing because I loved the magic, but this grew on me--especially once I saw the connection between the parallel stories. Kind of bummed this freebie dumped me in the middle of the story but I'll have to fill in the gaps because this was good enough to matter.
2,455 reviews13 followers
February 24, 2020
A scientist is killed in space. Before she died she sent a coded message to private investigators. They set about trying to find out the reason the scientist was killed.

In addition, there is a transport ship where the captain decides to change to piracy. Eventually the two stories intercept.

Formatting in the book was bad and it still needed some editing (published 2014). That takes away from the enjoyment.
60 reviews2 followers
September 14, 2018
Excellent space opera: good plot, great characters

I was impressed by the polished "feel" of the ñ book, the handling of diverse characters. Also often the 2nd book of a trilogy is difficult to follow; either items referred to are not recognizable after being introduced in an earlier book, or every little point is full and slows the plot.

Well done!

Profile Image for Rhane.
503 reviews3 followers
January 3, 2020
A very satisfying read

This was a complete story with enough surprises to keep you reading. An excellent telling of how people who work together become connected and begin to care about one another. Enough action and science for space opera fans, and enough people interaction for those who like to imagine how expanding into space will affect human culture.
417 reviews1 follower
February 29, 2020
Hidden talents

Author presents a kernel of a mystery the reader must travel the universe to learn the meaning. Numerous minor characters make the travel interesting. Sometimes reader can be confused who main character is but soon becomes book main focus. Main character then carries book to fast paced ending.
Profile Image for Erik Dewey.
Author 10 books7 followers
March 13, 2020
I went in with little expectation, just wanting an entertaining space-opera and was pleasantly surprised by this book. The writing, pacing, plot, and characters all were well done and interesting. I enjoyed how you learned about the world through characters and not a lot of exposition. Overall a good read and will seek out the next book in the series.
Profile Image for David Shipside.
17 reviews
March 22, 2020
*SPOILER* this book opens by introducing a character I think I can get behind, and then kills them off. Then you get introduced to a couple more that seem pretty cool but you don't want to get too involved as the author has shown that they are willing to pull the trigger on any of the characters. Overall I had a good time reading it and got engrossed in the story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Julie Powell.
Author 72 books324 followers
August 3, 2020
Another good story by this author, which is set a thousand years after the aliens first infiltrated Earth. Breakers was an excellent series.

Fast-paced and plenty of action pushed this tale easily to the end. I did enjoy it, though I won't be reading more of the series until funds allow. I am saving for the Garland series as the Cycle of Arawn one was brilliant.

Recommended.
6,726 reviews5 followers
January 16, 2021
Wonderful fantasy reading 📚

Another will written fantasy Sci-Fi thriller novel by Edward W Robertson with interesting characters. The story line is about a son going into hiding with a new name. The adventure begins as he is caught up in an espionage that will change the world 🌎. I would recommend this series to anyone who reads Sci-Fi. Enjoy reading 🔰2021 😂
58 reviews
December 2, 2025
Money buys exceptions

With very few grammatical errors, the story is interesting. Even in the future, money seems to protect the guilty. No matter what you do, as long as you got the money, you are untouchable. The author does a good job of transitions. I would have limed to see more background on the characters.
Profile Image for Justin.
12 reviews3 followers
January 4, 2018
I find the world that Robertson has created enjoyable to inhabit. For me, that's what makes books like this enjoyable - the plot is ok, the characters are sympathetic, etc., etc., but the world that they exist is a really fun place to spend time.
37 reviews
March 22, 2018
Interesting story

I enjoyed this book with interesting characters and story elements being set up for the rebel star series - which is perhaps it's One draw back. It can be a bit dull sometimes. However, still enjoyed it and looking forward to the rest of the series.
Profile Image for Frank Geimer.
507 reviews8 followers
September 14, 2018
This is an exciting space opera!

I really enjoyed this novel, it's full of action and a very good plot. The characters are realistic and the twist takes you by surprise. If you like a thrilling, detective of a space opera, you will truly enjoy this one.
243 reviews1 follower
September 16, 2018
WOW!!!! This is definitely one book you don't want to miss!

Really a great lead -off for a series. I haven't read the next one yet, but it promises to be just as good. I definitely recommend it to everyone who loves space operas.
Profile Image for Mark Zodda.
801 reviews1 follower
September 18, 2018
Good story with some action that is a satisfying read on its own without cliffhangers that require reading the next book in the series to come to any sort of conclusion. That said, I look forward to picking up the next book and reading more by this author.
Profile Image for Denzil Ernstzen.
188 reviews1 follower
September 26, 2018
Slow to start but it got there fast

It was a good read. I thought it was slow to start but eventually it all came together nicely. Loved the flow bu5 you have to pay attention otherwise you could miss a few minute details. On too book two soon.
Profile Image for Rex Sumner.
Author 8 books3 followers
October 4, 2018
Good read.

Takes a while to get into, but keep with it. The characters are confusing at first but after awhile the important ones do solidify. Then it starts going well and is gripping.
Profile Image for Mary Rowe.
2,639 reviews9 followers
October 6, 2018
First Shot over the bow, for an epic battle to come

I liked the way seemingly random people and events dovetailed together.

Elements of classic early sci-fi made this a joy to read.
133 reviews1 follower
October 22, 2018
Who are the good guys and who are the bad ones

Follow the adventures of Jazzy Webber, janitor and maintenance man extraordinaire, as he travels through space cleaning up messes wherever he goes.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 113 reviews

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